The Labor enquirer., 1887-07-30

toOiS oAu hAoSuuSiy Vi PAOuuStiOus OOuPS,
tition differs from EMULATION. A large
fringe of unemployed labor perpetuates the
competitive system; "belief" in God and
the state has nothing whatever to do with the
matter.
PROPERTIES: Il manufacturer and vayi-
oms sUayes in the market dtnominated "la6o,.."
SCENE: The MODERN syork-sAep.
JAcK-I am out of work and desire labor.
am willing to " ork for whatever will enable
me to live. l have wife and six children
l will work for s. a day.
EMPLoYER-Go to work.
GEoRcE-I see that you pay 50 day to
that workman. am out Of job and must
have labor. l have a wife but no children.
l will work for So day. Discharge Jack
and give me his job. If you don't will go
across the way to your competitor in business
and offer myself to him. By employing me
he will be able to produce cheaper and can
thus undersell you in the market.
EMPLoYER-Jack, you are discharged.
George, you can have the place.
BILL am unmarried and must have a
job. l am willing to work for 81. so day
rather than starve. Let me have Georges
job. hate to cut his throat this way but
must live.
(Bill gets the job).
ANroINE-1 also am single, but have
learned to live chi eaper than Bill and 1 can
work for 81 day. (Antoine takes the
place..
GEoRGE-I am back again, sir; have
been thinking over this matter and talking
with my wife. We feel that we must live,
and we have, through practice in starving,
also reduced our standard Of living. You are
paying two Antoines 81 day each my wife
and l will take those places at IS cents day
apiece.
JAcK-I sir am also back again. Each OF
my children can stop their school and help to
support the family. The six children are
equal to two men; my wife and are equal to
two more. We will do the work of four men
for So day where you are now paying three.
All SIM have Just come over. work
in China for 81 month. But shall be glad
to toll here for 40 cents day. Four of us
will cost you only SI.6o.
THE MACHINE II can do the work of 500
men at cost to you of 10 cents day.
never starve, strike or complain. Fire this
human trash at once and put me to work.
EMPLoYER-I must do this. But am
worried to know zoAo will buy the goods
now produce? The machine don't consume
and the fellows have discharged are hungry
'and show their idle teeth" l must hunt a
neao market for my goods; and meanwhile
must pay for more police and military to keep
the starving ex-workers down. Let them die
off quietly-the competitive system has no use
for them.
ACT II.
EMPLoYER-What's this? You say, Mr.,
Traveller, that there is no sale for my goods
that they are not cheap enough? can't un-
derstand this l have reduced wages to the
lowest possible point.
TRAvELER-Well Croesus is competing
with you and all the other middle-class trad
ers for an absolute monopoly of the market.
He has made special rates with and receives
rebates from the railroads and thus he UNDER
sells you.
EMpLoyER-Well, and my class will soon
see whether there is any ''justice" in this land
or not. We will go to the state for aid. 1t is
Communism and Socialism and Anarchy for
the wage. worker to do this but all right for us
We will have the state appoint Commission
to stop this thing.
TRAvELER-You will get your Commission
appointed; but Doodle is all powerful and
after you have got it, it will belong to Croe-
sus. Besides, this is not the only way in
which Croesus undersells you. He has an
immense capital and has bought up most Of
the largest supplies Of raw material and con-
sequently beats you on that point; besides he
has money enough to buy the latest improved
machinery. When you buy machine you
have to keep it until it wears out; you cannot
afford to lose the money invested. But he,
having so much greater market and so much
larger factory can speed his machines to a
higher point, can keep them going night and
day and can wear them out and get the newer
styles twice as fast as you can. Besides he
controls the money market and the moment
you become embarrassed he has you in his
clutches and can close you out whenever he
chooses. More than this, Croesus is now es-
tablishing agencies in every locality where he
retails his own goods and thus saves retailers
profits. 1t is impossible for you to compete
with him; and as my wages depend upon the
amount Of your goods that l sell and as
can't sell them at all now, must resign.
ACT III.
EMPLoYER-Croesus, am out Of business
and reduced by your competition to become a
wage-slave myself. Can you give me work ?
.CRoEsus-My dear sir, in this life it is every
man for himself and the ID take the hind.
most. have no job for you. Starve if you